Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior: CBS Series Cancelled; No Season Two

Published: May 17, 2011

A day before the network’s official upfront presentation for advertisers, CBS has cancelled Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. The spin-off will end after just one season.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior follows a highly-trained team of agents who operate within the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). They use unique and hard-hitting tactics to bring down some of the country’s most dangerous felons. The TV series stars Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan, and Kirsten Vangsness.

While spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles got off to an immediate great start back in 2009, the same can’t be said for CBS’ latest spin-off, Suspect Behavior. In February, it debuted to a 3.3 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 13.06 million viewers. That was a solid start but then the second episode dropped 27% to a 2.4 rating and 9.8 million. By the fourth episode, it had fallen to a 2.2 demo rating.

Should Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior have been cancelled?

The ratings have gone up and down a bit over the course of the season but has gone as low as a 2.1 in the demo a couple times. It currently averages a 2.4 rating and 9.84 million viewers, more than a whole point below its lead-in and parent series, Criminal Minds. Those numbers put it squarely on the bubble for renewal.

There was talk about bringing Suspect Behavior back for another round, possibly after doing a revamp, but the network’s decided against it. They likely have other procedurals waiting in the wings that believe can do better so CBS has cancelled Suspect Behavior after one season.

A baker’s dozen of episodes have been produced and so far, 11 of them have aired. The remaining two are expected to run tomorrow and next Wednesday night, May 25th, as previously scheduled.

The series finale is called “Death by a Thousand Cuts” and finds the team tracking a serial killer who randomly shoots people in crowded areas.

What do you think? Are you sorry that Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior won’t be back for a second season? Why do you think this one didn’t catch on?